


On Shifter's Luck

by hollyblue2



Series: SPN ABO Bingo [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: A little angst, ABO dynamics aren't a huge thing, Alpha!Dean, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Fluff, M/M, Recovery, SPN A/B/O Bingo, Scenting, Slight GOT reference, accidental (non mating) biting, injuries, omega!cas, shifter!Sam, shifter!dean - Freeform, shifters are a secret, wildlife vet!Cas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2019-01-15 08:55:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12317787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollyblue2/pseuds/hollyblue2
Summary: An injured wolf coming through the bushes while Cas is having a cup of tea is not what he expected. He didn't expect anything that followed either.





	On Shifter's Luck

**Author's Note:**

> Well, first of all welcome to my 100th fic on AO3! 
> 
> This was written for the SPN ABO Bingo for the square "Shifters". 
> 
> I loved writing this one, so I hope you enjoy reading!

Castiel hates hunting season. It’s bad enough that defenceless animals are being shot for nothing other than sport. He hates it even more when his clinic is inundated with animals having been caught in the crossfire. Just yesterday a family called him on their walk through the woods when they found three rabbits trapped inside a cage. Castiel had promptly rescued them and taken them back to his clinic for a check-up. One of them had a sore foot but other than that they seemed to be fine.

Sitting on the back steps to his clinic as he drinks his tea just before he opens for the day, he looks out into the forest, it’s mostly evergreen but some of the trees are beginning to turn from green to oranges, browns and reds, it would be beautiful if he didn’t know what really happened in the forest behind his wildlife clinic.

Lost in thought, he doesn’t hear as something comes limping through the bushes. It’s only when he refocuses and tips the dregs of his lukewarm tea back, grimacing at the coldness, that he spots the wolf.

It’s the largest wolf he’s ever seen. He’s come across his fair share of them over the years, but this one, Castiel is stunned and a little wary as it limps towards him. He holds his hands up to show that he’s not a threat and crouches down slowly. He can see his fur matted with red on one side of his body and more blood dripping onto the forest floor from a leg wound. Castiel’s heart breaks.

“It’s okay,” He reassures. The wolf stops short several feet away and sits down in visible pain before lying down on its uninjured side with a whimper. Castiel walks closer slowly before kneeling down next to the wolfs body. The wolf is hurt badly, he’s surprised he managed to make it this far with the injuries he’s sustained. “I need to get you inside, I can help you in there,” Castiel enjoys speaking to all the animals that pass through even though he knows he won’t get a response. His only other social interaction is his co-worker, Sam, who helps him out and he’s even seen him talk to the animals before.

Castiel wraps his arms around the wolf’s injured body and hoists him up. He’s heavy to say the least and it’s a slow walk back inside the clinic, awkwardly finding his footing on the steps.

Inside the clinic is clean and bright, a complete contrast to outside. Laying the wolf on the examination table, he goes to grab Sam to give him a hand. He finds him feeding one of the owls in the aviary, a small smile on his face as the small bird eats the meat from his fingertips.

“Sam, I’m gonna need your help with a wolf that just came in, he’s been shot twice,” Castiel explains quickly, not giving Sam a chance to say something before he’s out the room and back with the wolf. He strokes the barely conscious wolf’s head and the wolf moves to sniff at his hand before relaxing.

“Holy shit,” Sam gasps as he joins him moments later. There’s a lot of blood but not the worst the pair have seen in the past. The wolf perks up at the new presence in the room but Castiel soothes the wolf and begins to sort out the stuff he’ll need to repair any damage.

First, Cas grabs an IV kit, the wolf has probably lost a lot of blood and fluids which need to be replaced swiftly. “We should probably give you a name,” Cas muses soothingly as he works, ignoring the grumpy yelp as Cas inserts the small cannula into his front leg. Sam’s expertly making sure that the wolf doesn’t move too much and holds gauze to the wounds to stem the bleeding. He can see Sam running a soothing hand along the wolf’s back, it would be endearing if it wasn’t such a vital situation. “How about Bumble?” Castiel suggests.

If wolves could talk, Cas would definitely have got a firm _no_ from the wolf. His eyes narrowed and ears flat, tail giving an adamant thump against the metal.  Sam chuckles a little. “How about Princess?” He teases. Castiel laughs a little, patting the wolf on his head despite the wolf’s huff.

“Ghost? Like from Game of Thrones?” Sam turns to Castiel with a raised brow.

“You watch Game of Thrones?”

“Of course,” he replies as if it was the most obvious thing. Castiel grabs the razor and gets it going ready to shave the wolf’s fur where he’s injured. The wolf growls, obviously unhappy with the situation but Castiel carries on regardless.

Repairing Ghost’s injuries goes as well as hoped. He’d sedated him to take x-rays before taking him back into the surgery suite to operate. Two bullets, two holes sewn up and bandaged, and Ghost is resting on the table, waking up slowly.

Castiel is annoyed that hunters are so inconsiderate to the laws and get too gun happy when they spot something moving. Wolves have fallen prey to hunters more than once and apart from making sure people are aware that they’re not allowed to hunt the wolves, there’s not much Castiel can do except hope they fall into his hands so he can help them. He strokes Ghost’s head, between his ears as he watches him carefully waking up. His head lolls, ears flicking, and he huffs before trying to get up with a struggle. Castiel calms him with soothing words and carries on stroking him. Ghost wakes up slowly and starts to sniff at Castiel’s wrist. It’s peculiar because it’s where one of his Omega scent glands is but he doesn’t mind too much as it’s probably just a semi-familiar smell he can latch on to.

It’s when Ghost starts licking his wrist that he grows a little more concerned. Ghost’s eyes are open and trained on him intently. He doesn’t know why he would do this, it’s not normal wolf behaviour so he moves his hand away before something else happens, deciding that he should probably let Ghost heal in one of the larger cages out the back where it’s warm and quiet. He’s not quick enough when he moves his hand away, though, and Ghost clamps his jaws over his wrist. Castiel yells out but tries to keep calm. Pulling away will only make Ghost bite harder.

“Let go!” He says firmly. He tries another approach and wraps his free hand around Ghost's upper jaw to prise it away. The grip on his wrist isn’t hard enough to make him bleed but he’ll definitely be bruised, as long as he can free his hand.

“Dean!” Sam yells, striding into the room and making Castiel jump. Ghost lets go of Castiel’s wrist and he pulls it close to his chest.

“Dean?” Castiel asks, looking up at Sam as he massages the bite marks from his wrist, it aches a lot but he knows there’s no real damage.

“Ah…” Sam looks over to Ghost who gives him a strange look as if they were communicating. “So, that wolf there is called Dean,”

“Why didn’t you say? Would have made his naming process easier. Has he been tracked previously?” Flexing his hand and working the soreness out, Castiel crosses his arms and turns to Sam properly. He’s looking a bit sheepish under Castiel’s interested gaze.

“He’s my brother,” Castiel’s eyes widen, that’s pretty impossible. “He’s a shifter—we’re shifters,” He adds quietly.

“Seriously? He’s human?”

“When he’s healed enough to shift, he will be. I think… I think maybe him biting you was a way for him to express that he’s taken an interest in you. He’s Alpha, you’re Omega… it’s y’know, how it works and all…” Sam shrugs and goes to stand beside Dean who’s looking a bit worn but attentive to how Castiel is taking the news. “There’s not many Shifters left, so we need to look after each other, it’s why I took this job here,”

“Right, and him biting me was some kinda mating thing, because I’m not stupid and I’m pretty sure that’s not how it goes.”

“No, I know, I just—maybe?”

“He was scenting me most the time he was waking up and it was only when he started licking me I moved away and he bit me.” Castiel watches as Dean ducks his head into his front paws, guilty.

“Then, yeah, I guess so?” Sam seems unsure of himself which is unusual because he’s always so confident about his knowledge.

Castiel needs time to process the information Sam’s just given him and he won’t be able to while staring at Dean. “Okay, then.” Castiel says. “I’m going to put Dean in the back where it’s warmer and then I guess I have other things to do.”

Castiel gets up, and picks up Dean in his arms as if he doesn’t weigh anything. Dean nuzzles against his chest but Castiel ignores it and deposits him into a middle cage. There’s no other animals around and he sets up the IV bag on the outside along with the chart for Dean.

Dean looks up at him with apologetic eyes and he can see now just how human his eyes are. Piercing, green eyes, and soft, fawn fur. Dean moves his head towards Castiel, sniffing once again at his wrist. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?”

Dean whines, offended, and bumps his nose against Castiel’s hand in retaliation.

“Yep, ridiculous.” Castiel locks the cage and goes to tend to his other patients and catch up on paperwork. Before he leaves for the night, Castiel checks up on Dean and finds him sleeping, curled up in one corner of the cage. It’s sweet and Castiel smiles to himself. He’s looking forward to seeing Dean in his human form, he realises. He changes Dean’s dressings, earning him a half-hearted grumble before he locks the place up and leaves for the evening, shooing Sam out of the clinic as well with a promise of coffee and pastries if he stays away until his shift starts. He knows how much Sam enjoys his healthier food, but he’s also learnt of Sam’s like for morning pastries. Dean would be fine for the night and could do with rest without being harassed by his younger brother. With the promise that Castiel will keep his new-found knowledge a secret, they wave goodbye and leave.

*

Castiel gets in early the next morning, at least two hours before he needs to be and is greeted with a worrisome crash as he unlocks the clinic doors. Mind instantly turning to Dean, Castiel dumps his bags at the entrance to rushes back to the room he left Dean in the night before.

He’s greeted with a naked man, slightly taller than himself with light brown hair.

“Fuck!” Dean curses himself quietly. He’s tangled in the blanket that was at the bottom of the cage, trying to wrap it around himself, and the water bowl that had been clipped onto the door is now on the floor with its contents puddled.

“Dean?” Castiel says quietly, so not to startle him.

“Bumble? What kinda name is that? And you stuck me! You _shaved_ my fur! And sedated me? And Sam needs a punch for calling me princess.” Dean rambles with a huff. He winces as he bends down to pick up the scattered items and Castiel quickly stops him before he does more damage.

“I like bees, and I had to stick you because you were losing blood and yes, I sedated you, I wasn’t exactly going to perform surgery with you awake.” Castiel explains with a small smirk accompanied with an eye roll. “Did you like Ghost at least?” he adds, hopeful.

“I’m not a white wolf, so…” Dean shrugs, but there’s a tiny smile beginning at the corner of his mouth, and limps to where he can lean against the wall for support. His wounds don’t look so bad this morning, and Castiel is surprised by the lack of swelling and soreness he normally finds.

“You heal fast.” Castiel muses.

“Not as fast as I’d like. Still hurts a lot, but you did a good job patching me up, so thanks.” Dean says gratefully.

“I should probably go grab you some clothes. That blanket isn’t gonna help you much.” Castiel sidles off to his locker where he knows he has a spare pair of scrubs for him to wear at least until he gets his own clothes.

Dean pulls them on quickly and Castiel averts his eyes though he does catch Dean’s body in its full glory and it’s not bad to look at. Castiel sighs as he tries to switch back to human brain and not his Omega brain. It’s inconvenient at the best of times though what Sam told him yesterday had been playing on his mind. The mention of Dean being a potential mate was _satisfying_.

“Would you like something to drink?” Castiel asks him once he’s finished dressing.

“Any chance of a cup of coffee?”

“Not with the pain medication you were on last night. Which reminds me, I’m not sure I should give you any more, you heal quickly and I expect some ibuprofen will work for any residual pain. I expect Sam will know best.”

“Where is Sam?”

“I sent him home because I thought you’d be fine on your own for the night. You were sleeping pretty heavily on the medication I gave you, it was cute.”

“I’m an Alpha! I don’t do _cute_.” Dean protests with a smirk.

“Right, because you’re all roughty, toughty and limped all the way here just to see me.” Castiel smirks. He walks off and hopes Dean gets the invitation to follow. He does, slowly, and Castiel gestures to the well-worn couch that resides in their break room for him to sit on.

“I came here for Sam.”

“And you got me, just my luck,” Castiel smiles. “Will you let me take a quick look at your injuries?” Dean nods and hoists his feet up on the couch with a pained wince before stretching out a little. Castiel steps closer towards Dean and is more than surprised when he can smell him. He’s never really been able to smell anyone before. It’s earthy notes and a little like wet dog which Castiel expects is from being in his wolf form. The pine-like smell, though, is heavenly and Castiel has to stop scenting Dean in order to concentrate. Dean’s bright eyes are trained on him, watching his every move. Knowing Dean is so close and watching him is distracting and makes his hands tremble a little as he lifts up Dean’s shirt. The area of his injuries looks bruised on his tanned, human skin but the stitches are neat and tidy still. “I expect you’ll want the stitches out by this evening or tomorrow with how fast you’re healing, they won’t do you any good once your body has healed itself.”

“Mmm…” Dean comments simply, when Castiel looks at him, Dean’s got his eyes clothes, completely relaxed.

“Dean?”

“I’m listening, you… you just, err, smell good that’s all.” Dean gives him a small, shy smile before reaching out for Castiel’s wrist. “I’m sorry,” He says, inspecting Castiel’s wrist gently and feeling guilty about the bruises.

“It’s fine, I did poke you with a needle more than once yesterday.” He replies with a chuckle before adding, “you smell good too, you know,”

“I do? What do I smell like?”

“Wet dog,” Castiel decides, laughing lightly. Dean glares at him and shakes his head. “But, I am a wildlife vet, so wet dog is kinda my thing, and so is that pine-y smell too.”

Dean sits up suddenly with a hiss but then Dean’s lips are on his. He doesn’t know how to react and doesn’t until Dean pulls away, red faced and apologetic. Castiel smiles though, feeling more prepared as he takes Dean’s face in his hands and kisses him back. Dean is soft and warm and the smell of pine is emanating from him more powerful that before. Castiel gasps for air as they pull away from each other. Kissing Dean feels instantly like drowning, all-encompassing and not knowing which way is up. Coming up for air is a relief but he wants, so desperately, to go back down.

“What do I smell like to you, Dean?” Castiel asks, breathless.

“Honey and oranges, a little nutty,” Dean smiles drunkenly and rests his head against the arm of the couch, tired. “You smell amazing,”

“Cas!” There’s a loud knock on the door. “Have you seen Dean?” He shouts, before barging in on them. Castiel leaning over Dean with Dean’s shirt rucked up is probably not what Sam wants to see this early in the morning, and especially if Dean is Sam’s brother.

“Sammy!” Dean shouts.

“Oh shit, oh god, I did not want—nope, I’m going. I’ll go feed whoever needs—I’m going.” Sam stutters, throwing his hands up in the air before slamming the door a little too hard in his haste to get away.

Laughter rumbles low in Dean’s throat. “oops.” He says innocently, Castiel raises his eyebrow at him. “So, now you’ve been walked in on with me practically half naked, what would you say to a date?”

“I’d like that very much, Dean. On one condition?”

“What’s that?” Dean wonders, looking a little concerned.

“You get healed up first and then we can go out?”

“I think I can manage that, any chance of another kiss?” Dean asks, Castiel nods easily and presses his lips to Dean’s. With Sam checking up on their furry patients, they have a little time for this and they’re not going to waste it.

“I feel lucky you came here when you did, Dean.”

“Sam and I are lucky people—occasionally,”

Castiel chuckles, breath ghosting over Dean’s ear. “This is definitely one of those occasions. Shifter’s luck?”

“Huh, something like that.” Dean smiles, and goes back to kissing Castiel.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Customary Tumblr link: [here](http://envydean.tumblr.com)
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this one! I hope to have more written sooner rather than later (this is fic 2 of 25 to be written before 1st December)


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